Rhapsody of Memories
by Procyonpaw
Summary: Azmaria and Joshua were in a daze over Rosette's death.  However, one piece of nostalgic music would change all that...


_**Author's Note: **__It's been a very long time since I composed a Chrono Crusade fanfic because I not only have been busy with real life, but also have been dabbling in other series, such as __**Hetalia: Axis Powers **__and, curiously enough, __**Portal**__. However, I was listening to a recording of __**Rhapsody in Blue**__ by George Gershwin (though directed by Paul Whiteman, who is a character in this story) and felt inspired to write a Chrono Crusade story about the fan's favorite (and possibly canon) couple: Azmaria and Joshua._

_I chose the setting to take place a couple of days after Rosette was laid to rest (may she rest in peace) because this is probably a very emotional time for the two protagonists. Feeling that __**Rhapsody in Blue **__evokes nostalgia for the early 20__th__ century (mostly the 1920s), I decided to add it into the story._

_For a note, the clarinet glissando mentioned later in the story is just to signify the start of __**Rhapsody in Blue **__(listen to a recording of it to get a better idea of what I mean)._

_Anyways (after reading that young intro)…enjoy!_

XX

**Rhapsody of Memories**

**A Chrono Crusade story**

**Starring…**

**Azmaria Hendric and Joshua Christopher**

XX

Azmaria Hendric and Joshua Christopher were walking slowly through the streets of New York City. They weren't there for business of any kind, but supposedly there for a vacation, which was paid for by the Magdalene Order.

However, they were anything but happy about this trip.

They knew that the Magdalene Order was just being nice since Rosette Christopher, a friend to one and a sister to another, was laid to rest a couple of days ago in a humble cemetery in Chicago. Though the two knew that Rosette didn't have long to live because of her contract with the demon Chrono, they both wished that she could've lived a bit longer, to enjoy life a little longer.

They sighed as they entered a coffee shop, ordered some food, and sat down in silence at a nearby table.

They looked at each other and smiled softly, though they felt solemn. As they drank and ate, they thought about the last time they saw Rosette before she took her last breath in March of this year.

_As long as you hold a person in your thoughts," Rosette said to them. "That person will never really die."_

As they both thought about this, they heard loud yelling outside the shop. Azmaria and Joshua both looked out the window to see a man running around to retrieve pieces of paper that were getting caught up in the wind.

Not people to stay off to the side when somebody needs help, the two got up and helped the man retrieve his music from the air and return it to him.

XX

"Thank you kindly," he said with a smile as he packed the music together. "You can call me Mr. Whiteman."

The two smiled at the jovial man as he counted the music to make sure he had all the parts in his possession.

As the two were beginning to walk back to the coffee shop, Mr. Whiteman stopped them.

"Say," he asked. "Do you folk have some time?"

"I'm having a rehearsal for a song called _Rhapsody in Blue_ and I want somebody to rate the music for me."

"Think of it as a thank-you for retrieving my sheets."

Happy for some distraction away from Rosette's depressing demise, Azmaria and Joshua nodded their heads and silently followed the bandleader to Aeolian Hall, the concert hall where the rehearsal was going to take place.

XX

The two sat in the front row as Mr. Whiteman got his orchestra in place and the piece started with a luscious clarinet glissando. As the listened to the beginning, Azmaria and Joshua both fell into a trance as the piece continued to reverberate throughout the hall.

XX

_They were standing in Chicago and were back in their younger form. Curiously, as they walked around and saw the old city again, the song echoed throughout the atmosphere. As they continued to gaze at all the sights that have long since vanished into time, the two started to feel nostalgic and began to silently weep as they realized that time was passing very quickly for everybody. _

_Suddenly, the two heard a familiar voice from behind them._

"_Don't be so glum," the voice cried. "Enjoy life to the fullest."_

_The two turned around and saw, to their shock and glee, Rosette Christopher, who was once again a teenager full of vitality and energy._

_As the three had a touching group hug, Rosette got the two and dragged them into an ornate building in the center of the city._

"_Come on!" she yelled as she ran into the building with Joshua and Azmaria in tow. _

"_There's so much to do and so much to see in this wonderful place!"_

XX

_As the three entered into the building, the song continued to play as they saw a beautiful skating rink in front of them._

"_Let's play," Rosette cried as she took a pair of skates from the wall nearby the rink and started to gracefully move across the ice. "Remember doing this, Joshua?"_

_She smirked._

"_Be a good gentleman and teach Azmaria how to skate," she teasingly ordered. _

_Now laughing, Joshua took a pair of skates and was beginning to put it on Azmaria's feet when the girl started to back away._

"_What happens if I fall?" she asked as she looked at the ice with dread._

_Joshua smiled as he took Azmaria's hand into his._

"_Then, I'll catch you," he answered with a smile._

_The two looked at each other for a while, but Rosette broke the ice._

"_Hey, lovebirds," she said as she continued to skate. "Are you going to skate or not?"_

"_The ice is nice."_

_The two laughed, put on their skates, and joined their friend on the rink for a fun round of skating._

XX

_The skating seemed to last for an eternity as the three skated, fell, laughed, got back up again, and skated some more. However, as the three heard the song conclude and silence filled the rink, Rosette headed toward the exit of the rink, took off her skates, and began walking toward the building's exit._

_Shocked, Azmaria and Joshua both followed Rosette out of the building and ran after their friend._

"_Wait!" Azmaria cried as tears started to fall down her face. "Don't go…"_

"_Don't leave, sis," Joshua followed as his own eyes began to tear up. "Please…"_

_Rosette turned around and softly smiled._

"_I'm dead in the real world," she said. "Nothing can change that."_

_As she saw that her companion and her brother were crying, she went up and hugged them both individually._

"_Don't worry," she followed as the world began to get blurry._

_As long as you hold me in your thoughts, we can see each other as many times as you both can wish."_

XX

Azmaria and Joshua both opened their eyes and saw that Mr. Whiteman was heading down the stairs with a wide grin.

"Didn't you think that was the most damn amazing piece ever!" he said as he handed the two a flat package. "It's a genuine recording of this performance of _Rhapsody in Blue_."

"Another gift from not only me, but also from the music world as a whole."

The two said their thanks as they exited Aeolian Hall. As they made it to the sidewalk outside the concert hall, they smiled as they both heard not only the soft melody of _Rhapsody in Blue_, but also Rosette's parting statement.

_As long as you hold me in your thoughts, we can see each other as many times as you both can wish."_

XX


End file.
